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A 45-year-old man is held without bail and faces felony charges, including two counts of attempted murder.
By JIM ROSS
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 17, 2001
LECANTO -- Cindy Broad and her boyfriend returned to her home just before midnight Friday and made a terrifying discovery: A man had broken into the home and was pointing a gun at them.
Broad and her boyfriend ran. Both heard shots fired, but they were not injured.
Authorities on Saturday took Broad's former boyfriend, Joseph M. Dennis, into custody on charges that he was the gun-firing intruder.
Dennis, 45, remained at the Citrus County jail Monday, where authorities held him without bail. Arraignment on several felony charges, including two counts of attempted murder, is scheduled for May 7.
Officers are examining Dennis' vehicle and a .22-caliber rifle seized from his possessions after the arrest, the Sheriff's Office said.
Broad, 33, and her current boyfriend, Michael Holdeft, 25, of Hernando gave the Citrus County Sheriff's Office the following account:
Broad and Holdeft arrived at Broad's home, 5408 W Cinnamon Ridge Drive, about 11:45 p.m. Friday. Broad turned on the light, and a man stepped from behind a wall in the kitchen.
The man stood 3 feet to 4 feet away from the couple. They said they turned and ran. Broad said she heard two shots fired; her boyfriend said he heard three.
Broad went to a neighbor's house, where she knocked on the door and sought help.
Sheriff's investigators also took information from neighbors, said sheriff's spokeswoman Ronda Hemminger Evan.
One neighbor said he looked outside about 11:23 p.m. Friday and saw a man aiming a rifle from the direction of the victim's home. Another said he was sitting on his porch when he noticed a man circling the victim's home, Evan said.
A third person said he was awakened about 11:30 p.m. when he heard gunshots. That was the house where Broad sought help.
Officers searched the area but found no suspect. Broad also provided information about her former boyfriend, whom she identified as the attacker. Authorities determined that the intruder had entered the home by breaking a window on the south side of the residence.
A vehicle in front of Broad's home had a shot-out rear passenger window; the same bullet apparently damaged the car windshield, as well, Evan said.
Authorities had issued a reTIgional alert for Dennis. They also checked with his family members, who said they didn't know his whereabouts.
Detectives secured an arrest warrant, which Circuit Judge Jack Springstead signed, about 6 a.m. Saturday. By 10:45 a.m., sheriff's dispatchers received a call saying Dennis soon would turn himself in at the jail, Evan said.
Dennis did so and cooperated with officers, Evan said. Dennis said his vehicle was in Ocala. Investigators retrieved the car and brought it back to Inverness for processing.